Island



J. JVSOHOLPIELD v DEVICE FOR GUIDING THE EDGES 0F FABRICS.

(No Model.)

I E n INVENTOR- W l TN 85555- N, Prrzns, Phuwumm m Washington, 0.1;

I NrTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH J. SOHOLFIELD, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

DEVICE FOR GUIDING THE EDGES OF FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,483, dated April 30, 1889.

Application filed March 19, 1888. Serial No. 267,787. (No model.)

To aZl whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH J. SOHOLFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the State of Rhode Island,.

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Devlces for'Guiding the Edges of Fabrics,

of which the following is a specification.

' feeding-rolls of various other cloth-finishing machines; and my invention consists in the employment of a guiding-roller geared with a variable and reversible mechanical movement which is guided in its operation by the independent movement of an overbalanced -detector engaging frictionally with the surface of the web, and in the employment of an endwise-Inoving guide-roller which has a guiding movement in a direction opposite to the varying lateral movement of the edge of the web, and in the combined details of the machine, as hereinafter fully set forth.

Figure 1 represents a plan view of my improved cloth-guiding machine. Fig. 2 is an elevation taken from that side of the machine which is toward the web. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken in the linemas of Fig. 1. Fig. 4is an elevation taken from the delivering side of the machine. Fig. 5 is a detail section taken in the line w :r of Fig. 4.. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the detector for'directin g the powerdispensing movement inone direction to change the position of the guide-roller. Fig. 7 represents a sectionof the same, taken in the line 0200. Fig. 8 represents a side elevation of the detector employed to direct a power-dispensing movement in the opposite direction to that producedby the detector shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 represents a section of the same, taken in the line 00 a2. Fig. 10 represents a side elevation of a single detectorplate which is adapted to direct the movement of-the power-dispensing mechanism in either direction, according to the movement of the running edge of the web from the proper guiding-line. Fig. 11 is an enlarged topjview and end-view of the notched bar which engages with the detector, showing the opposite arrangement of the notches upon the edges of the bar.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the bed-plate of the machine.

B is an upwardly-projecting hub, Within the cavity of which is pivoted the roller-temple O, which may consist of the pivoted head 0 and the guide-roller at, having its periphery set with spurs, as in the rollers of loom-temples, the said roller being loosely held for r0- tation upon the screw-stud b,which is secured to the head 0, the said head being provided with the guide wires or fingers d d, which proj ect upon each side of the roller a and about parallel with the axis of the same, the said guide-wires serving to guide the web around a segment of the roller a, and to hold the web against the spurs of the same, and the angular movement of the guide-roller a upon its pivot in either direction will serve to cause a corresponding change of position in the run ning edge of the web. To the pivot-stem e is firmly seeuredthe segment-gear D, which engages with the rack-piece E, the said rackpiece being frictionally held in the groove f of the reciprocating slide F by means of the screw g, washer h, and spiral spring '1', the said screw being made to pass through the slot j in the said slide. To the upper side of the shank portion of the rack-piece is secured the steel bar G, provided on its opposite sides with notches n 91 which at the opposite sides of the said bar are inclined in opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 11, thus making a ratchet member of the rack-piece E.

\Vithin the bearing-hub 70, formed upon a projection of the base-plate A, is placed the driving-shaft H, upon one end of which is secured the driving-pulley I, and at the opposite end of the said shaft is placed the crank-pin I, from which operative connection is made with the slide F by means of the constructed as shown in Figs. 6 and 8, being each provided with spurs, as r r, for frictional engagement with the edge of the fabric, and with a radial beveled edge, 8, which servesto engage with the correspondingly beveled notches in the edge of the bar G. The spurs r r are arranged to project slightly above the line of the surface of the circular plate L, the said circular plate operating to support and guide the edge of the web to proper engagement with the said spurs of the detectorplates, and being secured to the rod K by means of the hub a and the screw N.

The detector-plate p is made nearly semicircular in form, and is thus overweighted at one side, so that the beveled edge 8 will fall by gravity into engagement with the notches n upon the edge if of the bar G; and the detector-plate q is overweighted at its upper end, so that the force of gravity will cause the beveled edge 8 of the same to be thrown away from the notches n of the edge u of the said bar G, as shown in Fig. 3, the upper portion of the said detector-plate (1 being concealed by the intervening detector-plate, p, and the gravitating movement of the detector-plate (1 may be limited by the edge 8, which strikes against the edge 75 of the bar G, the said edge 8 of the detector-plate q being so rounded as not to be capable of engage ment with the notches of the said bar, the two plates 13 and q being also connected to each other by means of a pin, 0, and slot p, which will permit a certain movement of the said plates relatively to each other.

At the upper end of the standard or is secured the bar o by means of the screws w w, and at one end of the bar 1; is placed the fixed stud :0, upon which is placed the loosely-revolving supplementary guide-roller a, which is set with spurs, as in the roller a, and provided with an annular groove, 1), which receives the guiding-fork 0, attached to the rack-piece E and moving therewith, so that whenever movement in either direction is imparted to the said rack-piece a corresponding movement will be imparted to the roller a in the direction of its axis.

Upon the screw-stud d, secured to the bar 2: at the opposite side of the cylindricallyformed plate L, is placed the loosely-revolving roller 6, which is also preferably set with spurs, as in the case of the rollers a a, and at the extremity of the bar r is secured the fixed supplementary guide M, from which the edge of the web is delivered to the cloth-finishing machine.

The guide M is constructed with a lower jaw, f, which is turned downward at its outer end, as shown in Fig. 4, to guide the entrance of the edge of the web between the upper and lower jaws of the guide when first threading the machine. The weighted upper jaw, g,

of the guide M is turned upward at its outer end to conform with the opposite curvature of the end of the lower jaw, and is held loosely upon the lower jaw, f, by means of the screws t" i, which screw into the lower jaw and pass loosely through suitable perforations made in the upper jaw to receive the same. The upper jaw will thus rest with its full weight upon the lower jaw, and when the edge of the web is passed between the said jaws the upper jaw will be raised along the side of the screws a" t" according to the thickness of the fabric. The edge of the web will thus be kept flat by the pressure of the upper jaw, and be prevented from curling over at contact with the sides of the screws 2" L", which in this case are located at the proper line for delivering the edge of the Web to the cloth-finishing machine and slightly nearer to the axis of the web than the detector-plates p and q, so that any slight variation in the running of the edge of the web at the said detector-plates will be corrected by the guide M.

When the edge of the web is running through the machine, as shown by the broken line j j, touching the spurs 0 upon the detector-plate 17 only, and not the spurs 'r of the detector-plate q, then the inclined edge 3 of the detector-plate p, which is adapted for engagement with the notches of the edge t of the bar G, will be carried by the frictional action of the forwardly-drawn edge of the said web away from the said notches, and the spurs r of the detector-plate q being unacted upon by the said edge of the web, the said detectorplate (1 will be held by gravity away from engagement with the notches of the edge u of the said bar G, so that in this case the edge of the web would be running in the proper guiding-line and no action of the power-dispensing mechanism will be produced to act upon the rollers a a; but in case the edge of the web should run inwardly from contact with the spurs r, then the force of gravity acting upon the detector-plate 19 will cause the beveled edge 3 of the said plate to drop into contact with the notches n of the bar G, which bar partakes of the reciprocating movement of the slide F and rack E, and when the said slide and bar are moving in one direction the detector-plate will stop the movement of the bar G with the slide 1 and thus cause a change in the relative positions,

of the slide and bar for the space of one or more notches of the said bar, according to the relative length of the reciprocating stroke of the slide F, and upon the reverse movement of the slide F and bar G the inclined form of the notches of the said bar will permit the bar to slide over the inclined engaging edge of the detector-plate, and upon the succeeding reverse movement of the slide F and bar G the detector-plate will again engage with the notch of the bar G, and thus cause a still greater change in the relative positions of the said bar and slide until the specific variation in the running edge of the web has been corrected, the changed position of the bar G with relation to the slide F serving to cause a corresponding variation in the angular position of the guide-roller a and the IIO axial position of the supplementary guideroller a, which will conjointly tend to bring the edge of the web back to the proper line; and in this case .the supplementary guideroller 01/ being connected to the rack-piece E by means of the guiding-fork c and annular groove 1), will instantly partake of the movement of the said raclopiece, and will thus in-' stantly operate to bring the running edge of the web back to the proper guiding-line in advance of the slower corrective action'of the pivot-supported guide-roller a, due to its change of inclination caused by the engagement of the segment-gear D with the rack E; but in case the edge of the web should, instead of running inwardly from the proper line, extend outwardly; so as to engage with the spurs r" of the detector-plate q, the action of the running edge of the web upon the said spurs will cause the inclined edge .9 of the detector-plate q to be brought into engagement with the notches n of the edge u of the bar G, which notches are oppositely inclined to those of the edge 15 of the said bar, so that upon such engagement the bar G will be caused tomove in a reverse direction in the slide F, thus imparting a reverse angular movement to the roller a and a reverse axial movement to the roller 01,, which movements will serve to bring the running edge of the web back to the proper line, in which both of the deflectorplates are out of engagement with the notches of the bar G.

Instead of employing the two detectorplates, asabove described, a single plate constructed as shown in Fig. 10 can be used, and in this case the action of the edge of the web upon the spurs T will cause the beveled edge 8 to engage with the notches of the edge u of the bar G, and upon the'inward movement of the'edge of the web away from contact with the spurs r of the -detector-plate the said plate will turn by gravity, so that the beveled edge 8 will engage withthe notches upon the edge t of the bar G to cause the movement of the said bar in the opposite direction to bring the running edge of the web back to the proper line; but with the single detector-plate therewill be no point of rest between the opposite points for movement, the detector-plate being in almost constant engagement either upon one edge or the other of the bar G.

The frictionally-held oppositely -notched bar G and the reciprocating slide F, which holds the said bar, constitute the essential parts of a well-known mechanical movement for oppositely changing the direction of the transmission of motive power, with a capability of variable action in either direction, through the directing movement of. an indicating device or governor which serves to stopthe movement of the notched bar in one direction, and thus change its relative position with reference to the reciprocating slide in which it is ,frictionally held; and the term power-dispensing mechanical movement as employed in this specification embraces the panied with variable action in those directions, devices of this class having been heretofore employed equivalently, as, notably, in machines for operating the gate of a waterwheel to regulate the speed of machinery, in which the motive power is variably dispensed to raise and lower the gate.

I claim as my invention 1. In a cloth-guiding machine, the combination, with the ratchet member adaptedfor reverse movement, the friction-slide, and reciprocating means therefor, which together constitute a power-dispensing mechanical movement, as set forth, of a detector which engages frictionally with the running web, so as to move therewith when in engagement, a guide-roller held upon a pivoted head or frame, and the pivoted head or frame supporting the guide-roller and geared with the ratchet member, substantially as described.

2. In a cloth-guiding machine, the conibination, with the ratchet member adapted for reverse movement, the friction-slide, and reciprocating means therefor, which together constitute a power-dispensing mechanical movement, as set forth, of a detector which engages frictionally with the running web, so as to move therewith when in engagement, a guide-roller held upon a pivoted head or frame, the pivoted head or frame supporting the guide-roller and geared with the ratchet member, and the guide for holding the edge of the web back to the true line after the said edge passes the frictionally-engaged detector, substantially as described.

3. In a cloth-guiding machine, the combi nation, with the ratchet member, the frictionslide, and reciprocating means therefor, which together constitute a power-dispensing mechanical movement, as set forth, of a detector the movementof which serves to direct the required movement of the ratchet member, and an endwise-moving' guide-roller connected with the ratchet member, so as to move in opposition to the in-and-out varying movement of the edge of the web, substantially as described.

4. In a cloth-guiding machine, the combination,with the ratchet member, the frictionslide, and reciprocating means therefor, which together constitute a power-dispensing mechanical movement, as set forth, of a detector which serves to direct the required movement of the ratchet member, a guideroller held upon a pivoted head or frame, the pivoted head or frame supporting the guide-roller and geared with the ratchet member, and an endwise-moving guide-roller connected with the ratchet member, so as to move in opposition to the in-and-out varying movement of the edge of the web, substantially as described.

5. In a cloth-guiding machine, the combination, with the guideroller and its pivoted head or frame, of the oppositely-notched slidwhich engages frictionally with the running Web, a guide-roller held in a pivoted head or 15 frame, the pivoted head or frame supporting the guide-roller and geared with the ratchet member, the curved guide-plate for guiding the edges of the Web to the detector, and the rollers at opposite sides of the curved guide- 20 plate, substantially as described.

JOSEPH J. SCHOLFIELD.

Witnesses SooRATEs SCHOLFIELD, WALTER E. TAFT. 

